Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is defined as the air quality within and around buildings and structures. It is known to affect the health, comfort and well-being of building occupants. A number of factors can affect indoor air quality, including:
- Physical layout of the building.
- Building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
- Outdoor climate or contaminants.
- Number of people who occupy the building.
- Contaminants inside and outside the building.
Contaminants may include dust, mould, carbon monoxide (i.e., from vehicles parked near air intakes), volatile organic compounds (e.g., given off by office printers and photocopiers, paint, glue, etc.), formaldehyde (e.g., from insulation and carpets), bacteria, and smoke from wildfires.
Reporting of indoor air quality issues
Any questionable or abnormal odours must be reported to Risk and Safety Services to investigate with Facilities and Security. Please provide:
- Location
- What does “it” smell like
- If anyone injuried
Contact Risk and Safety Services at 250-371-5807 or 250-828-5139 and/or Facilities at 250-828-5388
Contact Security after hours using the TRU Safe app or calling 250-828-5033 or 5033 from any campus phone.
Radon Awareness with Interior Health
TRU is partnering with Interior Health (IH) on their radon awareness project for post-secondary institutions. This participation is an extension of IH’s project that began with daycares in 2017 and public school districts in 2022.
Starting Monday, Jan. 6 2025, Risk and Safety Services will begin deploying radon detectors in various buildings across the Kamloops and Williams Lake campuses, including student residences. This initiative is a proactive step to assess radon levels in areas where it may naturally occur.
The detectors — small puck-style devices — are passive and will remain in place for several months before being collected for analysis. You may notice these devices being placed in certain areas, particularly on ground levels and basement areas. If you encounter a detector, please do not disturb it.
TRU is committed to reviewing the results and remediating where necessary to ensure a safe and healthy environment.
Further updates will be shared once testing is underway. For questions or updates, email safety@tru.ca
